USS Milius makes port call on Saipan

From left to right, Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang, Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, and Commander Leif Gunderson pose for a photo following a brief tour of the USS Milius DDG 69 yesterday afternoon. The Milius is the second naval vessel to visit the CNMI in the last week. (KIMBERLY B. ESMORES)

The CNMI welcomed another visiting Department of Defense-vessel just a week after the last port call, with the USS Milius DDG 69, a U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer, bringing in over 300 visitors to Saipan last Tuesday.

The USS Milius sailed into the Port of Saipan at around 9:40am this week and it is expected leave today.

According to Commander Leif Gunderson, commanding officer of the Milius, the crew of about 350 men and women were delighted by their stay on Saipan.

“We are here and we are delighted to be here. The crew of Milius has been out operating in the Indo-Pacific region for the past couple of months and has been doing a lot of good work out there for presence and security in the region. We are super excited to be here [on] Saipan. All the rich history and culture that we’ve experienced just makes us delighted to be here,” he said.

Gunderson said this is Milius’ third time on Saipan.

“I believe we’ve been coming to Saipan since 2015. The last time we were here was in 2019. We’re trying to expand our opportunities to come back. This port visit doesn’t just give us the opportunity to replenish the ship and do maintenance, but it also gives the crew an opportunity for rest and recovery,” he said.

The Milius is a guided missile destroyer with a multi-mission platform that focuses on providing security in the region. The ship, which is based off Yokosuka, Japan, was commissioned in 1996.

“We can do anything, from air warfare, ballistic missile defense, just across the board as we’re a multi-mission platform. We were in Busan last month. [Prior to that] we did a Taiwan transit,” Gunderson said.

Brad Ruszala, the public affairs specialist for Joint Region Marianas, joined in welcoming the ship last Tuesday and said the back-to-back DOD ship visits is great news for the CNMI.

“Whether they come by air or sea, we love to welcome our servicemen and servicewomen to the Marianas. It’s great to have the USS Milius back [on] Saipan for the first time since 2019. Our economy definitely receives an economic boost when they arrive and it gives us another opportunity to show our island hospitality. Having the USS Milius and the USS Emory S. Land visit us in back-to-back weeks is great for Saipan and the CNMI as a whole. I hope the Navy continues sending ships our way,” he said.

Gov. Arnold I. Palacios, who was also on hand last Tuesday to welcome the ship, said his administration is always happy to welcome Naval ships to the islands.

“We’re very happy to welcome them because they have been out there protecting us. Having them stop here for a port call provides the crew with a nice break. We hope to welcome them back again. We ask that they come back whenever they have a chance to. They are always welcome here. With COVID, the port calls were minimized but now that that’s behind us, we look forward to more Naval ship presence in the CNMI,” he said.

Lt. Gov. David M. Apatang thanked the crew for their service and for visiting the CNMI.

“I just want to say thank you to the crew of [the Milius]. We thank you for visiting us. I’m sure you’ve all enjoyed your stay here on Saipan. We look forward to having you guys back here again. We always love to see our military here on Saipan,” he said.

Apatang also honored Capt. Paul L. Milius, after whom the ship is named, as he is a fellow Vietnam war veteran.